AN: Characters aren’t mine. Yeah. We all knew that.

The Gift of Cursed Blood

Chapter 2: The Curse

Duo sat laid in the bed and stared at the ceiling. She had a billion reasons for not wanting to help him. After all, he hadn’t helped her when she’d needed him. But he’d been so young then, only seventeen years old. His father had been murdered that week he’d just been crowned king. It wasn’t his fault.

It wasn’t my fault! It wasn’t!

He kept staring at the ceiling.

Flashback

The townspeople were un an uproar. They had pitchforks and torches. It was out of some badly written horror movie. Their loud voices rang out into the night like a church bell. They wanted no more than to put an end to a life. Their shouts of “le the monster die” echoed throughout the palace.

Duo wiped Hilde’s forehead with a cool, wet cloth. Things were getting complicated. Outside, the town wanted Hilde brought out so they could kill her. Inside, the process of birth had taken a turn for the worst. Hilde had begun bleeding and there was no stopping it. She and the child she carried were dying. The midwife said there was nothing she could do about it.

“I’ve done all I can, Your Highness. I can’t stop the bleeding. I’m sorry but both she and the baby will die.”

“No, Catherine! She’s my wife, that’s my child she carries. She can’t die!”

“Help me, Duo,” Hilde whispered brokenly. “It hurts so much, Duo, please help me!” The night was dark, and he knew it was because of Hilde. She was in too much pain to keep her emotions in check. He just hoped she didn’t mess with the weather too much before the baby was born. He knew that the people outside would not be appeased if they saw a storm rolling in. That would cause them to be even more thirsty for blood.

Duo didn’t know what to do. He was torn between his feelings for his people and his feelings for his country. He was the new king, after all. He had a duty to these people.

“Your Highness! The townspeople are threatening to break the doors if we do not deliver the woman! You’ve got to do something,” the guard said. He looked at Hilde who was laying on the bed.

“I don’t need you to tell me that! I know I have to do something,” he snapped at the guard.

“Oh, Your Highness, I see the baby’s head!” Catherine exclaimed. “Bring me a clean sheet, Your Highness, hurry.”

Duo did as Catherine asked. He stood behind her, ready to assist if the need arose. He watched in awe as a tiny, bald head popped out from Hilde’s body followed by tiny shoulders and finally legs that ended in rounded little toes.

Catherine handed him the little burden after she’d made it cry. “It’s a boy, Your Highness. What shall you name him?”

Duo could only smile at the tiny bundle he now held in his arms. “Lucas, like my father,” he answered.

Just then, Duo heard Hilde cry out again. “There’s another one, My Lady. Push!” Catherine ordered. He watched as the tall, slender redhead got to work to bring the second child into the world. Again, Duo marveled at the beauty of seeing his child born. First the head, then the shoulders. He smiled. Two children.

Catherine repeated the process with the second child and handed the second baby to Duo then handed the first child to his mother.

“Here, My Lady, your son Lucas,” Catherine said to the almost unconscious Hilde. But she still smiled.

Duo walked over and sat on the side of the bed letting Hilde see the other baby. “It’s a girl,” he said. “Her name is Claire, like your mother.”

“Alright, then My Lady. You need your rest,” said Catherine and took Lucas from Hilde. “Your Highness, would you please help me with the children?”

End Flashback

Duo woke up in a cold sweat. He didn’t know when he’d fallen asleep but apparently he had. He looked outside. It was still too early to leave. He could probably get a few more hours of sleep.

It wasn’t my fault. I had no choice.

He felt his eyes growing heavy again. He closed them and gave himself up to more memories.

Flashback

The situation regarding Hilde hadn’t gotten any better. Nobody trusted her. All the townspeople were being so ungrateful to her. She’d saved them all from a certain demise and this is how they repaid her? By wanting her dead?

He was glad his kingdom was still strong, but he couldn’t help but think of what it would have been like if he’d never gotten Hilde involved with it. She had been an orphan since she was seven and growing up she’d faced many an adversary. She’d been working in the palace since her mother had died. But there was something special about her. Hilde had… strange powers. And as was common for people to do, the townspeople feared anybody and anything that was different. After Hilde’s show of power they had all been in awe. They couldn’t do enough for her. But then, a few weeks later, rumors from the same people she had saved had started to surface.

They all wondered just how she had gained the trust of the new king. And how she had managed to ensnare him into marriage. At first it had not bothered the young couple. He was king, even at his reluctance, and she was his queen and even of nobody else believed it, they were in love.

But now, now the people were starting to make demands. The accused Hilde of witchcraft. Of causing their animals to die or blaming every little, insignificant accident on her. It was getting ridiculous and Duo wasn’t standing for it. But the men and women were getting more and more aggressive with each passing day. He constantly feared for Hilde’s life and that of his children. He walked to his and Hilde’s chamber. He knew he would never please his people, no matter what he promised them and nobody who he talked to. So he’d come to a decision.

“Duo, what a nice surprise!” Hilde exclaimed at the sight of him. “It’s much too early for you to be…” she trailed off. “What’s wrong, Duo?” she asked worriedly. Duo glanced out the window and he saw the sky darken. A light breezy rain began to pour from the clouds.

He walked up to Hilde and cupped her cheek in his calloused hand and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

The rain stopped but he clouds didn’t leave.

“You have to leave, Hilde,” he stated plainly.

Hilde shook her head. This was no time to lose her control over her emotions. She didn’t want to cause a natural disaster.

“Take… take your children and get out of the palace!” he shouted and turned his back on her.

“You don’t mean it, Duo!” she said. Hilde closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on controlling her anger and pain. She couldn’t let her emotions run rampant. Breath deeply. Take a big, deep breath and concentrate. Just like Mother taught you. “Why?” she managed to whisper.

“I’ve made a decision, Hilde. I know I can’t make my subjects happy as long as you and the children are here, and I can’t be selfish and keep you with me. You and your children have to go.”

“But… but where are we going to go? This has been my home for the last ten years, Duo. And you can’t do this to me?” she said sounding desperate.

Duo could clearly see the trouble she was having. She couldn’t control her emotions when her whole world was coming down around her. He steeled his nerves and said, “I don’t know, Hilde. I don’t care as long as you… and YOUR children are out of my kingdom by nightfall.”

The rain began anew. It wasn’t light anymore. It was a heavy, pounding rain. Pretty soon it had begun to hail and the wind picked up.

Duo took Hilde’s shoulders and shook her hard. “Control yourself!” he shouted at her.

She began to cry and the wind became stronger. “No… no, please don’t, Duo.”

Damn it! She’s going out of control. What the hell am I going to do if she releases a snow storm?

Hours later Hilde had packed all of her things and all of her children’s things. Duo had lent her a carriage that would take her wherever she might go. He gave her some money and she had no choice but to accept it since she didn’t have anything. She left behind all of the fancy clothing he’d bought her while they’d been married. She also left all of her jewels. The money she had to take since she didn’t know where the hell she was going or what she would do.

Hilde tried to not let her emotions control the weather. She still needed years of training to learn how to completely separate her emotions from her power. When she got into the carriage Catherine placed the children in her arms. Kissing them both she whispered a sincere “good luck” and walked away.

The townspeople had already gathered outside the palace doors to witness her departure. She cried as they ran behind the carriage and shouted curses at her. Some of the men had gotten their swords and other weapons and yelled out threats.

As the carriage disappeared, black, storm clouds began rolling in. Thunder and lightning in their began crashing.

Tbc…

AN: Any questions/comments? Title ideas, PLEASE!!!!!